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RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
Review of Operations
Genting Highlands Resort
GENTING HIGHLANDS RESORT
GENTING - CITY OF ENTERTAINMENT
www.genting.com.my
Genting Highlands Resort (“Resort”) is Asia’s leading integrated leisure and entertainment
resort. This unique iconic mega resort was voted the World’s Leading Casino Resort and
World’s Leading
Casino Resort
Asia’s Leading
Casino Resort
Asia’s Leading Casino Resort, by World Travel Awards 2005, a testimony of its world-class
service excellence and global recognition. The Resort is popularly known as Genting - City of
Entertainment, a “city that never sleeps” in Malaysia.
Located at 2,000 metres above sea level and on a
tropical highland, the Resort enjoys a refreshing
cool climate all year round. The mega Resort has six
hotels with over 10,000 rooms and offers a myriad
of leisure, business and fun-filled activities that span
over 170 food, beverage and retail outlets, 60 fun
rides and entertainment attractions, world-class
convention and mega show venues and many more
- all in one unique highland location.
The Resort attracted a new record high of 18.7
million visitors in 2005, of which 24% were hotel
guests and the remaining 76% were day-trippers.
Malaysians comprised the bulk of day trippers and
hotel guests while Singaporean hotel guests formed
about 5% of the Resort’s total visitor arrivals in
2005. Visitor arrivals from India, Middle East and
neighbouring countries grew significantly while
demand from the domestic market remained strong
in 2005.
Scenic view of Genting Theme Park
and its cool surrounding.
RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
Majestic night view of Genting Hotel
The Resort celebrated its 40th anniversary during the year with impressive world
class entertainment shows, star-studded attractions and numerous promotions
and activities. A total of 988 show days were attained in 2005, averaging about 3
shows/events per day and entertaining more than 800,000 patrons.
Exciting performances were staged at the Resort’s three mega entertainment
venues, which have a combined capacity of close to 10,000 pax. The list of
international artistes and superstars who performed at the Resort continued to
grow and in 2005, the Resort featured the likes of Robin Gibb, Michael Bolton,
Engelbert Humperdink, Sheena Easton, The Platters, Laura Fygi, Michael Learns
to Rock, Sam Hui, 12 Girls Band, Lee Hom, Miriam Yeung, Joey Yung, Leo Ku,
Jolin Tsai, Kelly Chen, Francis Yip and many others.
The 1,600-pax Genting International Showroom is the choice venue for family
entertainment performances and musical drama productions such as Above Full
Moon, the mesmerising Three Dragon Tenors and Oliver, the highly acclaimed
West-End Broadway musical. Other show extravaganzas were held at the 2,000pax Pavilion and these included “X-treme” and “X-treme II”, featuring international
stunt performances for all ages.
The 6,000-pax Arena of Stars is the perfect venue for enthralling concerts,
attention-grabbing “live” shows and adrenalin-pumping sporting events. It has
been the host venue to hundreds of international stars including canto-pop
artistes like Sally Yeh, Richie Jen, Lee Hom, Andy Hui, William Soo. Other events
held at the Arena of Stars in 2005 included the Amazing World of Feng Shui
by Lillian Too and Malaysia-China (Yunnan) Cultural & Arts Charity Show ’05,
the 12th Malaysia National Lion Dance Competition, Malaysian Taekwon-Do
Championship, Genting International Dancesport Competition, as well as local
awards shows such as the Anugerah Bintang Popular 2005, Malaysia Global
Chinese Art Award, Astro Talent Quest Contest, Malaysian Idol and Miss Astro
Chinese International Pageant.
X-treme at the Pavilion, First World Plaza
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RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
First World Hotel & Plaza
FIRST WORLD HOTEL & PLAZA
HOTELS
(“FIRST WORLD COMPLEX”)
The Resort’s six hotels offer 10,000 rooms of 3, 4, 5 star and super
First World Hotel & Plaza, Malaysia’s largest and highest
luxurious 6-star accommodation to cater to the needs of all visitors.
hotel, shopping and entertainment plaza set another milestone
The five hilltop hotels at the Resort - Genting Hotel, Highlands Hotel,
achievement in 2005. The Group started the construction works for
Resort Hotel, Theme Park Hotel and First World Hotel achieved an
Tower 2 of First World Hotel in 2003 and completed 1,000 rooms
overall average occupancy of 80%. Over 2.1 million room nights
and 12 meeting rooms in 2004. The remaining 2,000 rooms were
were sold in 2005, registering a 14% growth over the previous year.
completed by December 2005. With this completion and together
with Tower 1 of 3,200 rooms, First World Hotel is now the largest
During the year, the Group continued to upgrade its products and
hotel in the world with 6,200 rooms.
facilities to attract new and repeated visitors to the resort. Another
four floors of Genting Hotel were converted and upgraded into
The stunning and colourful First World Hotel offers various types
Maxims Club (www.maxims.com.my), making up a total of six floors
of room accommodation, ranging from the very affordable Standard
for this unique club. This “hotel within a hotel” concept features 3
rooms, Super Deluxe rooms, Triple rooms to the luxurious WorldClub
units of Maxims Suites & Residences and 107 units of Club Suites,
rooms. In tandem with the additional new hotel facilities, operating
a classy business centre, a private VIP check-in lounge and an
systems were reviewed and enhanced to provide better operating
exclusive dining and entertainment facility.
efficiencies and services. This included expediting the guest checkin process time and upgrading the laundry facilities to cater to the
Located on the 17th & 18th floors of Genting Hotel, Maxims
additional rooms and guests.
Residences represent luxury living at its best, with state-of-theart facilities and extraordinarily spacious suites. The largest suite,
Star World, located at First World Plaza, celebrated its 1st
“Royal Suite” has a built-up area of 13,000 square feet and features
Anniversary on 26 November 2005 with a grand party. It has
amongst others, stylish jacuzzi, lounge, dining, gym and audio visual
become a popular venue for the young-at-heart gaming patrons,
room.
offering innovative gaming entertainment with the latest cutting
edge technology.
Maxims Club, Malaysia
Senior officials launching Star World’s
1st anniversary celebrations
RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
Warm and friendly services
M Spa & Fitness
These suites are meticulously furnished to provide the best
CONVENTIONS
quality comfort and modern luxury together with superb
mice.genting.com.my
Highlands Hotel - VIP check-in lobby
services to cater exclusively to the corporate and premium
guests. Maxims Club has undertaken a collaborative marketing
Genting International Convention Centre (“GICC”) is
programme with its sister brand in Maxims Casino Club,
one of the largest and most popular convention centres in
London, one of the select number of high-end casinos in the
Malaysia. Located at First World Hotel & Plaza, GICC is a one
United Kingdom.
stop destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and
Exhibitions (MICE), offering more than 150,000 square feet
Two floors of Highlands Hotel were upgraded to Premier
of conference space including 18 meeting rooms, a Grand
rooms, increasing the total number of Premier floors to eight.
Ballroom, 3 Convention halls and a Business Centre to
The year under review witnessed the progressive extension of
accommodate all types of corporate events.
the broadband services or “wi-fi” coverage to rooms in Genting
Hotel and Highlands Hotel as well as to cover the new suites,
A total of 2,422 functions were held at the Resort in 2005. The
new restaurants and hotel lobbies.
8th Asia Pacific Life Insurance Congress (“APLIC”) 2005 was
successfully organised at the Resort in March 2005. Close
M Spa & Fitness officially opened its doors to the public in
to 10,000 delegates from 18 countries attended the APLIC,
February 2005 whilst ushering in the Chinese Lunar New Year.
making it one of the biggest congressional conferences held
Located at the lobby floor of Genting Hotel, it is a state-of-the-
in Malaysia. Among the other major conventioneers who held
art spa that provides relaxation zone with separate areas for
their events at the Resort were Prudential Assurance, Nasa
men and women. The spa has 15 luxurious treatment rooms
Products Dealers, SG Marketing, Malaysia Assurance, Proton
including sauna, steam room and jacuzzi areas - pampering
Edar and Network J & J.
the guests with various invigorating spa treatments. In addition,
M Spa & Fitness offers other facilities such as beauty salon,
café and a fully equipped sophisticated gym with a panoramic
view of the Outdoor Theme Park.
Genting International Convention Centre - one of the largest and most popular convention centres in Malaysia.
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RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
FOOD & BEVERAGE “F&B”
The Group operated 43 F&B outlets, catering to over 11 million
food covers in 2005. Together with other third party F&B
outlets, there are a total of 88 outlets at the Resort, serving a
wide choice of local and international cuisine to suit the taste
of everyone.
In conjunction with the Genting 40th Anniversary celebrations,
a series of special monthly food promotions were lined up.
The monthly food galore highlighted some of the world’s
finest culinary traditions, ranging from French haute cuisine,
fine Italian dining, Asian flavours to the local traditional Malay
cuisine.
Exquisite fine dining at The Olive, Genting Hotel
During the year, the Group re-conceptualised some of its F&B
outlets, namely Coffee Terrace, Resort Café and Restoran
Kampong to exude a modern and refreshing ambience for the
dining pleasure of its patrons.
The Olive restaurant is the Resort’s fine dining restaurant that
has earned its distinction of excellence in the culinary world.
The Olive won the Restaurant Of The Year award during the
The buffet-style Resort Café offers a mixture of Asian and
Western delicacies. Located alongside is the new Restoran
Kampong which provides traditional Malay and Indian
Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards presentation in November
2005. The Olive offers continental cuisine served in a trendy
and elegant ambience.
dining for patrons with spicy taste buds. Both Resort Café
and Restoran Kampong reopened on 1 August 2005, with
a combined capacity to seat close to 570 diners. The new
Coffee Terrace was reopened on 21 August 2005 and officially
launched on 23 December 2005. The spacious restaurant with
an area of 40,000 square feet, can accommodate up to 600
As a testimony to its high level of standards in food quality and
safety, the Resort’s production kitchens were awarded HACCP
– Food Safety Management System (Hazard Analysis Critical
Control Point) certification by World Certification Services in
August 2005.
diners at any one time. Strategically located at Genting Hotel
lobby, Coffee Terrace offers 6 show kitchens serving a Grand
Buffet of Asian and Western food, as well as Ala Carte menu
with award-winning recipes by the Resort’s Celebrity Chefs.
During the year, the culinary team from the Resort participated
in “The World Golden Chef Competition” and won a total of
3 Excellent Gold & 1 Gold Medal in the group and individual
category respectively. The Resort’s culinary team also took
part in the “5th World Championship of Chinese Cuisine”, which
was held in Guangzhou. The team won the silver medal in Hot
Dishes category and Food Carving category respectively.
Resort Café
Coffee Terrace
Restoran Kampong
RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
Corporate Information
Type text begin here
Moments with loved ones
Shop at leisure
SHOPPING PARADISE
First World Plaza is the coolest and highest shopping plaza in Malaysia. It is a shopping and leisure paradise, offering more
than 170 retail shops, food and beverage outlets, 25 fun rides and 6 vibrant themed boulevards and many more entertainment
attractions – all under one roof. The Plaza features appropriately themed boulevards, reminiscent of famous landmarks such as
Champs Elysees, Venice, Times Square, Universal Walk, Covent Garden and Genting Walk and other world famous icons such
as the Statue of Liberty, the Hollywood Oscar, Arc de Triomphe, Eiffel Tower and the Big Ben.
These include branded retail outlets for the young and
trendy such as Nike, BUMCITY, U2, Levi’s, Renoma,
Giordano, PDI, Apex Pharmacy, Toycity, World of
Cartoons, OSIM and many others. Among the many
branded F&B eateries are Starbucks Coffee, The
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, McDonald’s, KFC, Baskin
Robbins, Ah Yat Abalone Forum Restaurant, Famous
Amos, Sushi King, Delifrance, Kenny Rogers
Roasters and Pizza Hut.
Genting Times Square at First World Plaza has
become a popular venue for many mega celebrations,
products launches, popular international and local
artiste showcases, exciting events, activities and
road shows. In conjunction with Genting’s 40th
anniversary, themed month-long celebrations were
held at Genting Times Square throughout the year.
The New Year’s Eve Countdown Party has become
the much awaited annual event for revellers, offering
all-night celebration and an endless dose of great
music and dance performances.
Enjoy unique shopping and leisure entertaiment at Genting Times Square, First World Plaza
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RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
Genting Theme Park - Best Family Resort 2005
GENTING THEME PARK
Emphasising a ‘3E’ strategy – Exciting, Extreme and
Extraordinary, Genting Theme Park introduced Asia’s first
Genting Theme Park, winner of the
Flying Coaster, a unique hang-gliding roller coaster thrill
Best Family Resort by Hospitality
sensation in 2004. In 2005, Genting Theme Park took its 3E
Asia Platinum Awards 2005-2006,
strategy a step further by introducing Malaysia’s first ever 4D
continues to provide endless “Fun At The Peak”. With over
Motion Master Theater. The revolutionary 4D Motion Master
50 rides and attractions ranging from thrill rides, family rides,
Theater transforms the normal 3D imaging technology into a
kiddie rides and to the unique fun experiences, the Resort
Motion Master format, enabling viewers the opportunity to
attracts millions of theme park visitors every year.
immerse into the show by experiencing heat, wind, mist and
other special effects.
On 22 April 2005, Genting Theme Park became the first Theme
Park in the region to be certified with the Quality Management
System Standards ISO 9001:2000 from Lloyd’s Register
Sky Ve
nture Asia’s
first sk
y diving
simula
tion ex
perienc
e
Quality Assurance Ltd. for its management and operations of
theme parks.
Flying
r
Coaste
Kiddy fun rides
Spinner
Genting Outdoor Theme Park
RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
Outdoor water activities
Corkscrew roller coaster
The Flying Coaster together with four other big attractions -
Snow World
INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT
Spinner, Space Shot, Genting Sky Venture and Snow World
are ‘a must’ for thrill seekers. Other adrenalin-pumping thrill
The Resort is less than an hour’s drive from Kuala Lumpur and
rides include the exciting Euro Express, Super Tobaggon and
is easily accessible via the excellent road network and highway
Corkscrew roller coasters, Cyclone and Adult Bumper Car.
infrastructure as well as by helicopter.
Family rides include Pirate Train, Dinosaurland, Antique Car,
Venice Gondola, Reindeer Cruiser, Ferris Wheel, Rio Float and
The provision of safe, convenient and comfortable transport
Boating. Kiddie rides include Universal Carousel, Tour de Paris,
services to and from the Resort has always been the Group’s
Junior Bumper Car and many more.
priority. The construction of a new two-lane bypass road
between the hilltop and Chin Swee Caves Temple, which began
Snow World is the largest indoor snow attraction in Malaysia.
in 2004 was completed in August 2005. This new bypass road
Genting Sky Venture is Asia’s first sky diving simulation,
serves as an alternative route to the Resort’s hilltop and eases
Genting X-pedition Wall is the biggest indoor climbing wall in
traffic flow during the peak visitor seasons.
Southeast Asia and Rainforest Splash Pool is Malaysia’s only
heated indoor water park at 2,000 metres above sea level.
With the completion of the bypass, the Group began upgrading
the previous two-way main road from Chin Swee Caves Temple
Third party entertainment brands include Ripley’s Believe It or
to the hilltop into a one-way three-lane road. The upgrading
Not Museum, the first in Malaysia which features some of the
work was completed in April 2006.
most bizarre oddities and Haunted Adventure.
In May 2005, the construction of a new residential staff complex
Continuous refurbishment of theme park facilities and
began at the Resort to accommodate the increasing staff
landscape beautification works were undertaken throughout
population. This complex is scheduled for completion in 2007.
2005 to ensure that Genting Theme Park remains in excellent
condition. The ever popular Flying Jumbo ride, the spinning
For the travel comfort of VIP visitors, the Group added two
Tea Cup, Rodeo Rider, Astro Fighter, the go-karts used for
new Mercedes Benz S350 limousines and a luxurious Toyota
the Grand Prix Fun Kart track, Matahari Ferris Wheel and
Alphard MPV to the premier limousine fleet. Its fleet of 48
Malaysia’s first roller coaster – The Cyclone were refurbished
limousines currently includes four luxury S350 Mercedes Benz,
with refreshing new looks in 2005. These enhancement efforts
and two luxury Toyota Alphard MPVs. Four imported Mercedes
demonstrate Genting Theme Park’s commitment to be the best
Benz buses were acquired to replace the older bus fleet. Bus
and the most popular theme park attraction in Malaysia.
commuters in the Klang Valley region have the choice of boarding
the Genting Express Bus at stations in Puduraya, KL Sentral,
Putra LRT terminal, Pasar Rakyat (Imbi Road) and Gombak.
Genting Skyway
Super highways to the Resort
Luxurious limousine services
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RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
Awana Genting - a refreshing scenic retreat
AWANA HOTELS & RESORTS
www.awana.com.my
The Awana brand of hotels and resorts comprise three beautifully
designed resort hotels in Malaysia. The three hotel properties
maintained an overall average occupancy rate of 61% in 2005.
Awana Genting Highlands Golf & Country Resort
(“Awana Genting”)
Awana Genting is a cool refreshing highlands resort situated
amongst the natural lush greenery at the mid-hill of Genting
Highlands Resort. This 5-star resort has 430 well-appointed
guest rooms, sophisticated convention facilities including a grand
ballroom and 17 function rooms and an award winning 18-hole
golf course. It is an ideal venue for meetings and functions in a
refreshing, stress-free environment.
Located at mid-hill of the Resort, Awana Genting is a popular
haven for golfers, families, conventioneers and eco sports lovers.
The resort features horseback riding, a heated swimming pool,
jungle trekking and other indoor and outdoor activities. The
natural landscape is especially suitable for activities such as
jungle trekking, obstacle courses and team-building activities,
with steep cliffs and inclines providing ideal spots for abseiling and
rock climbing. Longhouses and camping grounds are available
for those looking for a little back-to-nature rustic living. Awana
Genting maintained an average occupancy rate of 63% in 2005.
Award-winning golf course at Awana Genting
Eco-sports activities at Awana Genting
RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
Awana Kijal with the longest private beachfront in Peninsular Malaysia
Awana Kijal Golf, Beach & Spa Resort (“Awana Kijal”)
During the year, the resort was again selected as the host
Awana Kijal, is a five-star holiday and convention resort set
venue for the prestigious Langkawi International Maritime
amidst 800 acres of lush greenery in Terengganu. Awana Kijal
owns the longest private beachfront in Peninsular Malaysia
with 7.6km of pristine sandy beach. It is a popular beach resort
with an 18-hole championship golf course and offers 343 rooms
and suites with panoramic views of the South China Sea.
For a second consecutive year, Awana Kijal was awarded the
No. 1 Resort In The East Coast by the Hospitality magazine.
This charming holiday resort offers a comprehensive array of
banquet, recreational and convention facilities, numerous water
sports as well as a traditional Javanese-inspired spa called the
Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa Awana Kijal. During the year,
the resort’s team created innovative and popular activities such
and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA) 2005. LIMA which uses the
resort’s scenic backdrop and the serene bay surrounding to
display an armada of ships and yachts, attracted over 20,000
visitors to the maritime exhibition at Awana Porto Malai.
Although Langkawi island was largely unscathed, concerns
due to the tsunami-related disasters in the Indian Ocean had
caused a drastic drop in tourist arrivals, both foreign and
domestic in 2005. Awana Porto Malai implemented a series of
aggressive marketing and promotional programmes throughout
2005 which mitigated the visitors’ concern and improved visitor
arrivals in the second half of 2005. The resort recorded an
average occupancy rate of 51% in 2005 (2004: 55%).
as the “Joy & Adventurous” programme, a weekend in-house
entertainment organised by members of the hotel staff for the
guests. Awana Kijal achieved an average occupancy rate of
64% in 2005 (2004: 61%).
AWANA VACATION RESORTS
www.awanavacation.com
Awana Vacation Resorts Development Bhd (“AVRD”) is the
Awana Porto Malai, Langkawi (“Awana Porto Malai”)
Awana Porto Malai is a popular holiday resort destination
on the legendary island of Langkawi, Kedah. Located by the
serene bay of Tanjung Malai, Awana Porto Malai is a 208-room
Mediterranean “themed” seafront resort, offering panoramic
views of the famed Dayang Bunting Island of Langkawi.
The resort has an extensive range of facilities including
Group’s timeshare operator. Launched in August 1998 and
growing steadily since then, AVRD has a total of about 5,500
timeshare members as at 31 December 2005.
Gold Ownership Plan
(accommodation up to six persons)
Silver Ownership Plan
(accommodation up to four persons)
34 Awana Kijal apartments
66 Awana Genting condominiums
20 Ria Apartments
10 Ria Apartments
a marina, food and beverage outlets, conference rooms,
banquet halls and a picturesque boardwalk. The resort’s
AVRD members are entitled to stay at the numerous hotels at
swimming pool with a children fun pool is a favourite
Genting Highlands Resort and the Awana Hotels & Resorts
attraction for families.
at favourable rates, subject to booking conditions. AVRD
Awana Porto Malai caters to a wide segment of the market
is affiliated with Resorts Condominium International (RCI),
including tourists, company outings and meeting groups.
providing AVRD’s timeshare members with the access to over
3,800 affiliated resorts in over 80 countries. In addition, AVRD
has direct exchanges with resorts in Asia Pacific, Europe,
America, South Africa and other countries. In Malaysia, the
direct exchanges can be made for resorts in Penang, Perak,
Kuala Lumpur and Cameron Highlands, subject to availability
and may vary from time to time.
Awana Porto Malai, a Mediterranean-themed resort
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RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
SuperStar Virgo berthed at the HarbourFront Centre, Singapore
STAR CRUISES LIMITED
www.starcruises.com
www.ncl.com
www.orientlines.com
Star Cruises Limited (“Star Cruises”) is a 36%-owned associate of the Group. It is
the world’s third largest cruise line and the leading cruise line in Asia-Pacific.
Star Cruises has a combined fleet of 22 ships in service and due to be delivered with
over 35,000 lower berths. It operates under the internationally recognised brands of
Star Cruises, Norwegian Cruise Line, NCL America, Orient Lines and Cruise Ferries
brands - cruising to more than 200 global destinations and islands in Asia, North and
South America, Hawaii, Caribbean, Alaska, Europe, Mediterranean, Bermuda and the
Antarctica.
In September 2005, Star Cruises extended its Asian operations to include India, with
SuperStar Libra setting its pioneer home port operations in Mumbai - another first
in the cruise industry in India. SuperStar Libra offers regular and special cruises to
Grand Piazza, Superstar Virgo
destinations along the west coast of India.
New destinations and itineraries for its Southeast Asia cruises were introduced with the
return of SuperStar Gemini to Singapore from Taiwan in November 2005. The new
season 7-night itineraries from Singapore call at 16 destinations across 4 countries. The
destinations include Krabi, Phuket, Bangkok and Ko Samui in Thailand; Sihanoukville
in Khmer Republic; Halong Bay, Danang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam
and Penang, Langkawi, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia. Two special 21-night
cruises were introduced, featuring Hong Kong as part of its itineraries.
Star Cruises won the award for Best Cruise Operator in Asia-Pacific for
Mariners Patio Bar, SuperStar Gemini
a record eighth time at the TTG Travel awards 2005. The occasion was
made more special with founder Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong being announced
as recipient of the inaugural award for Travel Entrepreneur of the Year.
These prestigious awards are testimonies to the international recognition
of Star Cruises’ high standards of service excellence and its contribution
towards tourism development in various countries. The accolades continued
in India with Star Cruises winning two awards for Best Product Promotion
International and Unique Product International at the India Travel Mart
shows in Bangalore and Chennai, further reinforcing the acceptance of the
cruise product in the domestic market.
Sporting activities
RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
31
Norwegian Jewel - joined the fleet in August 2005
The Genting-Star International Cruise Management Programme was launched in Shanghai by Star Cruises and the Nanhu Vocational School
in March 2005. The international hospitality programme has been designed along the globally recognised guidelines of the Australasian
Hotel College and the Australian Quality Training Framework, with particular emphasis on oral English communication skills and practical
applications to cater to a growing level of sophistication among travellers.
The fleet renewal plans continued in 2005 with the delivery of the Pride of America for the NCL America brand and the Norwegian Jewel
for the NCL brand in June and August 2005 respectively. The Pride of America is the largest US-flagged ship ever built and the first newly
constructed cruise ship to join the US register in almost 50 years. Christened by the Honourable Elaine L. Chao, US Secretary of Labour, the
Pride of America joined the Pride of Aloha in offering exciting inter-island cruises in Hawaii.
Norwegian Jewel is a sister ship of the popular Norwegian Star and Norwegian Dawn and is the fifth new ship to be launched in four years.
The 93,502-tonne ship, which was christened by Melania Trump, boasts a luxurious suite complex comprising Garden and Courtyard Villas.
This ship is the first in the industry to offer such exclusive class of accommodation. Norwegian Jewel had a successful inaugural itinerary in
the Mediterranean and the Baltics in the summer of 2005.
The Star Cruises Ship Simulator Centre in Port Klang, Malaysia obtained the Quality
Management System, Standard ISO 9001:2000 from Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance, a
member of the Lloyd’s Register Group and one of the world’s biggest maritime classification
societies.
STAR CRUISES & ITS FLEET IN OPERATION
Star Cruises
Norwegian Cruise Line
NCL America
SuperStar Virgo
SuperStar Gemini
SuperStar Libra
Star Pisces
MegaStar Aries
MegaStar Taurus
Norwegian Dawn
Norwegian Star
Norwegian Sun
Norwegian Spirit
Norwegian Majesty
Norwegian Wind
Norwegian Dream
Norwegian Sea
Norwegian Crown
Norwegian Jewel
Norwegian Pearl*
Norwegian Gem**
Pride of Aloha
Pride of America
Pride of Hawaii~
Cruise Ferries
Wasa Queen
~ Delivered in April 2006
* Expected delivery in 2006
** Expected delivery in 2007
Pride of America - joined the fleet in June 2005
Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay
delivering his speech at the
Norwegian Jewel’s christening ceremony
Orient Lines
Marco Polo
Norwegian Jewel’s christening ceremony,
Port of Miami - 3 November 2005
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RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
E-COMMERCE & IT DEVELOPMENT
In September 2005, the Group implemented an integrated and
advanced casino marketing system to consolidate the existing multiple
standalone systems in Genting Highlands Resort. The integrated
platform streamlined the cashier desk operations and provided better
services to VIP guests.
In June 2005, the Group sold its 20% stake in eGENTING to Genting
International P.L.C. (“Genting International”), as part of the Genting
Group’s strategy for Genting International to spearhead its investments
in the leisure and gaming-related businesses outside Malaysia. The
acquisition of eGENTING by Genting International has provided
eGENTING with the platform to be a leader in the international gaming
and IT application services industry. The Group has a 6.5% equity
investment in Genting International.
www.genting.com.my is the Group’s leisure and hospitality official
website. It is the highest-grossing hospitality web site in Malaysia
in 2005. Powered and maintained by eGENTING, the website
attracted online sales which grew by 7% to RM14 million in 2005.
The website was acknowledged as the most popular online website in
Singapore when it topped and won the popularity votes for the “Travel
– Destination and Accommodation” category of the Singapore Online
Performance Awards 2005. The award was organised by Hitwise, a
leading internet usage monitoring corporation.
Through the website, numerous online offers were actively promoted
in 2005, including the popular Buy Online & Win campaigns, which
offered attractive monthly and quarterly prize draws. In addition, the
website provides the latest product information, promotes convenience
and flexibility for online purchases of the Group’s leisure products.
During the year, the Group’s WorldReservations Centre (“WRC”)
introduced room bookings through Interactive Voice Response (“IVR”)
and SMS to cater to the higher call volume following the increase in
the number of rooms after the completion of First World Hotel’s Tower
2 at the end of 2005. Call volume for the year rose by 24% to 1.8
million calls in 2005. During the year, WRC handled an average of
4,000 calls a day.
The Group, via eGENTING, invested in Disaster Recovery (“DR”)
facilities for its core systems. The DR facilities were successfully put
to a live test at the Resort in August 2005.
The one-stop centre for reservations of rooms, shows, transport,
cruises, flights and vacations
located at Wisma Genting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel : 603 2718 1118
Online : www.genting.com.my
The Group’s Siebel Customer Relationship Management enables
real-time tracking of the campaign performance and resort-wide
multi-channel customer feedback. During the year, the Campaign
Management module was implemented for a close monitoring of
customer feedback and selected processes have been automated to
enhance marketing efforts.
The sales and marketing teams of the WorldCard customer loyalty
programme participated in various travel fairs, business exhibition,
carnivals and recruitment fairs throughout the year to promote
WorldCard to the public. These activities have increased membership
to nearly 2 million WorldCard members. WorldCard has over 270
participating merchants, covering over 1,500 outlets in Malaysia,
Singapore and Hong Kong. In October 2005, the inaugural WorldCard
Forum was held for participating merchants to be updated with the
latest progress of the WorldCard loyalty programme.
During the year, the self-service WorldCard kiosks in Genting Highlands
Resort were enhanced to incorporate new features, such as voucher
redemption, personalised message and conducting customer survey.
The kiosks are placed at strategic locations for easy access and are
popular with members who prefer the convenience of self-service.
The SAP shared services initiatives continued to be implemented on a
group-wide basis in 2005 to improve operational efficiency. The Group
Central Purchasing was initiated in 2005 to share the procurement
of common supply products and services for the Genting Group. In
addition, the Asset Tagging and Tracking system was implemented to
monitor and control the asset data. Advanced systems and network
management tools such as the IBM Tivoli Enterprise Management
System and the Citrix solution continue to manage the IT resources of
the Group for better efficiency.
RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
Founder YBhg Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong conferred honorary degree
of Doctor of Entrepreneurship from UTAR, 10 November 2005
HUMAN RESOURCES
The development of human resources within the Group is vital to
ensure continuous improvement in service excellence, business
continuity and further growth. A highly skilled, motivated and
productive workforce is a key factor to the emergence of the Group
as a world-class player in the leisure, entertainment and hospitality
industry. As at 31 December 2005, the Group has a total workforce
of about 12,300.
On 24 November 2005,
the Group signed the 9th
Collective
Agreement
with
its
employees’
union. The Collective
Agreement
was
successfully completed
within a short period of
four meetings in less
than three weeks. This
reflects the commitment
of both parties to sustain harmonious industrial relations.
The 17th Resorts World Bhd Senior Managers’ Conference with
the theme “Delivering Unique Customer Experience for Competitive
Advantage” was held in November 2005 in Bintan, Indonesia. The
objective of the conference was to strategise for the Group the aim
to provide the unique customer experience and achieve the best
competitive advantage.
The Balanced Scorecard Performance Management System was
implemented during the year. This system enables key performance
indicators to be developed for departments and executives of the
Group, consistent with the overall vision and strategies of the Group.
In addition, the Competency Framework was implemented across
the Group to deliver suitable training and development programmes.
Genting Centre of Excellence continues to play an essential role in the
training and development of employees. Over 25 specially designed
training programmes were conducted for executives of the Genting
Group in 2005. Genting INTI International College, a collaborative
partnership between Resorts World Bhd and INTI Universal Holding
33
Some of the Group’s Long Service Awards recipients
Bhd, a leading education group in Malaysia, continued to offer exciting
courses in tourism, leisure and hospitality management in 2005. The
Assessment Centre for the Group was implemented to enhance the
recruitment process and ensure that candidates who demonstrate
the right attitude, skills and competencies are recruited. During the
year, 50 management trainees successfully completed their training
and have been deployed to various departments and business units.
These trainees form part of the succession-focused strategies of the
Group.
The 12th Resorts World Bhd HR Conference was held at Awana Kijal
Golf, Beach and Spa Resort, Terengganu to discuss developing and
retaining world-class talent in the Group. The Group have its 4th OSHA
Awareness Campaign with the theme of “Safety is the Responsibility
of All” to increase the awareness and knowledge of safe and healthy
practices among employees. The Group’s commitment towards
safety at workplace has resulted in winning the prestigious “National
Occupational Safety and Health Excellence Award 2005” for the Hotel
and Restaurant category.
The Group is committed towards maintaining family values and
enhancing the quality of life for its employees. In conjunction with
Genting’s 40th Anniversary celebrations, various events for employees
were held. Over 1,500 employees and their respective families
participated in six Family Day activities. In addition, specially made
40th Anniversary jackets and souvenir mugs were given to employees
of the Group. During the year, construction of a new block of staff
quarters began and the Group’s hostel facilities were upgraded with
on-going refurbishment of the hostel rooms to enhance the comfort
and lifestyle of its employees.
34
RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
COMMUNITY SERVICES
The Group as a caring and responsible corporation, has supported
numerous
corporate
philanthropy
work,
including
various
charitable bodies, sports associations, educational institutions
and health organisations.
In providing humanitarian relief, the Group donated more than
RM3.5 million to those affected following the tsunami tragedy
which occurred in December 2004. This included the donation
of RM1 million each to the Malaysian Tsunami Disaster Fund,
the Indonesian Tsunami Disaster Fund and the Force of Nature
Foundation and RM0.5 million to the Pahang Tsunami Fund. In
addition, other recipients included the MERCY Humanitarian
Fund (RM100,000) and Persatuan Bencana Alam Negeri Kedah YBhg Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay presenting a RM1 million mock cheque to
PRIDE’s representative Datuk Nazir Razak, witnessed by the Prime
(RM20,000). In response to the Star Earthquake/Tsunami Relief Minister, YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Fund, various donation initiatives were held at the Resort to
appeal to the public, guests and employees for their support. A
total amount of RM60,000 was collected for this fund.
Non-governmental organisations who received the Group’s
support included St. John Ambulance Malaysia, National Council
After a flash flood hit the indigenuous ‘orang asli’ settlement in
of Women’s Organisations Malaysia, Malaysian Liver Foundation,
Pos Pasik, Kelantan, the Group extended its financial support to
Tunku Azizah Fertility Foundation and National Cancer Society
Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli to assist the families affected by
Malaysia.
the flood.
In striving to improve healthcare in Malaysia, the Group donated
The Group has been involved in the development of sports in
RM1 million to PRIDE, an organisation that aims to increase
the country for a long time. Amongst the sports-related bodies
awareness and improve the standard of diagnosis and care
supported by the Group in 2005 included the Sultan Ahmad
treatment of breast cancer in Malaysia. The donation was made
Shah Veteran’s Hockey Team, Pahang Basketball Association,
during the Group’s 40th Anniversary Celebrations Gala Dinner.
Association of Sports and Recreation for the Disabled Terengganu,
Bentong Basketball Association, Pahang Volleyball Association
In its support towards the development of education and research,
and Bentong Netball Association. The Group continued its long-
the Group contributed to various programmes organised by
term support and partnership with the Football Association of
schools and research institutions, including the Malaysian Institute
Malaysia, Pahang Football Association, KL International Marathon,
of Economic Research, Academy of Medicine of Malaysia and
prestigious Le Tour de Langkawi and its charter membership with
Malaysian Institute of Management.
SportExcel.
In promoting English Language amongst the school children, the
The Group continued to support various charitable bodies in
Group made substantial contributions to related programmes such
2005, including HOSPIS Malaysia, Kiwanis Club of Petaling
as the New Straits Times’ School Sponsorship Programme, Inner
Jaya, Yayasan DiRaja Sultan Mizan, Yayasan
Wheel Club of Ampang’s English Literacy Campaign and Yayasan
Kebajikan
Yayasan
Istana Abdul Aziz’s English Excellence Programme Fund; as
Kebajikan Anak-Anak Yatim Malaysia, Little
well as contributions to various schools including Pei Yuan High
Sisters of the Poor, SHELTER Home for
School, SJK (C) Khai Mun, SK Bandar Baru Batang Kali, SJK (C)
Children,
Perting, Sekolah Kebangsaan Seafield, Kolej Tunku Kursiah and
SSL
Haemodialysis,
Independent
Living
Home
for
People with Disabilities, The Salvation Army,
SJK (C) Telemong.
Sungei Way Old Folk’s Home and Monfort
Boys Town.
YBhg Tan Sri Alwi Jantan and YBhg Tan Sri
Mohd Amin together with recipients from
various welfare organisations
YABhg Tun Mohammed Hanif Omar (right) presenting
a mock cheque of RM108,600 to MERCY Humanitarian Fund
Day outings at the Resort for children
from various welfare homes
RESORTS WORLD BHD Annual Report 2005
RECOGNITION
The Resort’s growing list of international accolades and awards of excellence is a testimony to the Group’s excellent achievements
in the hospitality and leisure industry.
Genting Highlands Resort was voted the prestigious World’s Leading Casino Resort and Asia’s Leading Casino Resort at World
Travel Awards 2005 gala ceremony held in London on 13 November 2005. Resorts World Bhd won the Minister’s Special Award
at the Malaysia Tourism Awards in August 2005. This award by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Tourism of Malaysia is another
accolade for the Group and highlights its success in developing the tourism industry in Malaysia for the past 40 years.
Genting Highlands Resort
- World’s Leading Casino Resort
- Asia’s Leading Casino Resort
(World Travel Awards 2005)
Genting Highlands Resort
- Best Family Resort
(Genting Theme Park) by World Asia
Publishing’s Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards
2005-2006.
YBhg Tan Sri Alwi Jantan (second from left) holding the Minister’s
Special Award at the Malaysia Tourism Awards 2005
Other major awards and accolades received in 2005 are as follows:
Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong - Travel Entrepreneur of the Year by Travel Trade
Gazette Awards 2005.
Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay - Most Outstanding Hospitality Developer by
Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards 2005
Genting Highlands Resort - Restaurant of The Year (The Olive, Genting
Hotel) by World Asia Publishing’s Hospitality Asia Platinum Awards 20052006.
Genting Theme Park - Malaysia’s first theme park to be certified with
the Quality Management System Standards ISO 9001:2000 from
Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance Ltd for its management and operations
of theme parks.
Resorts World Bhd - National Award for Management Accounting
(NAfMA) 2005 Practice Solution Award by the Malaysian Institute of
Accountants and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.
Resort World Bhd - National Occupational Safety and Health Excellence
Award 2005: Hotel and Restaurant Category.
Resorts World Bhd - ACCA Plus - Approved CPD Employer Certificate
2005.
Resorts World Bhd - Winner of 3 Excellent Gold Awards and 1 Gold Medal
at The World Golden Chef Competition.
www.genting.com.my - Winner of the most popular Travel - Destinations
and Accomodation website in Singapore at the Hitwise Singapore Online
Performance Awards 2005.
Awana Kijal Golf, Beach & Spa Resort - No. 1 Resort in the East Coast
by Hospitality magazine 2005.
YBhg Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay with the
inaugural TTG Travel Entrepreneur
of the Year award presented to
Founder YBhg Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong.
YBhg Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay is the
winner of the Most Outstanding
Hospitality Developer award by
Hospitality Asia Platinum 2005
Award-winning international chefs from
Genting Highlands Resort
Mr. Raymond Yap, SVP - Theme Park &
First World Plaza Operations (right)
receiving the Lloyd’s ISO 9001:2000
Certification for Genting Theme Park
Mr. Quah Chek Tin, Chief Operating Officer (right)
receiving the NAfMA 2005 Practice Solution Award for
Resorts World Bhd
35